Odessa Sights

Vittís Palace (Black Sea Shipping Company)

Description

The main office of the Black Sea Shipping Company was, according to some sources, Vittís palace.

Count Ivan (Yan, Jan) de Vitt (1781ó1840) was a Russian general during Napoleonic wars. He was Agent 007 for Russia as he managed to join Napoleonís Army and become his aide, getting access to top secret documents. Two weeks before Napoleon invaded Russia, de Vitt had escaped back to the Russian Army and gave detailed intelligence about the French one.

After the war he was commander of a cavalry division in Ukraine. He wanted to become governor in New Russia but Vorontsov was appointed instead. De Vitt stayed in Odessa to spy on him for the government as they believed he was too liberal. But the brave agent did not just spy on the governor. In 1828-1829 he managed to complete a daring mission in Turkey obtaining intelligence directly in its capital before another Russo-Turkish war.

It is not quite clear though when this building was built and if de Vitt owned it at all. Most likely the architect was G.Torichelli but it could have also been F.Boffo or L.Otton. It is not clear either when exactly the building was built. Some sources quote the 1830ís, but the count lived in Odessa in the 1820ís, and in the 1830ís he mainly stayed in Poland. Others claim it was built in 1841 but de Vitt had been dead then (he died in the Crimea in 1840).